This year was more about the drive. The other parts of the formula of getting as many Sacco cars together as possible, and finding a great driving road remained.   The route chosen was the Putty road, which is probably the best driving road in Sydney’s outskirts.

I took my 560SEC.  Of my Sacco era cars, it is the best suited to the Putty Road.   In any case the W124 is being repaired after the hit from the p-plater and the 560SEL has a coolant leak.

Our meeting point was a hotel in Windsor.  We left home at 7am, so I would have time to grab the kids breakfast at McDonalds nearby.   They were less than impressed when a power outage meant that McDonalds Vineyard was closed, and so was the Hungry Jacks over the road.   We had been running a bit late too.  We took Galston Gorge to the meeting point instead of the main road.  The road down the gorge was fine, but on the way up, we drove at 5km/h, as a group of selfish cyclists were blocking the road and preventing anyone from passing.   There were ample places where they could have paused to let the huge line of cars through, including an ambulance, but they didn’t.

We arrived at the meeting point about 30 minutes before the departure time.  The meeting point was serving coffees, but not much in the way of food.  Luckily the kids had brought a few snacks which they ate instead.

The weather was amazing and turnout was really good.  As would be expected, The W124 and W126 dominated. There were also a few W201s and a few R129s, plus on or two other Sacco era cars.

At around 9am, the group took off for the Putty Road. We had a waypoint of the Greygum Cafe, around half way along the Putty Road.  The route was quite simple so it was almost impossible to get lost.  In addition, this year we didn’t try and keep everyone in a tight convoy.  This worked far better.

When we arrived at the Cafe, the Aston Martin Owners club was already there.  There were some lovely classic Aston Martin’s there, including a DB5.  I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures as they left soon after we arrived.

We stopped at the cafe for around 40 minutes.  This gave me time to get the kids something to eat.  Pies and sausage rolls is the breakfast of champions and one of my daughters aid the beef pie was the best she had ever had.

After our break, we completed the second part of the Putty Road.   The Putty road is great as it has long sweeping sections, tight corners and interesting scenery.   Traffic wasn’t too bad, so we were able to get along reasonably well.   The 560SEC does pretty well on roads like this.  It is fast and comfortable.

Our destination was the BenEan winery.   We had a parking area in a back paddock where we could line up our cars.   The only thing I would have changed about the day is that it would have been good to have the non-sacco cars lined up separate to the Sacco cars.

We had an excellent lunch at the winery.   There was an outdoor area with was quite shaded – important given it was in the mid 30s.   Next to it was a pizza oven and the staff were making very good pizzas.

Prizes were awarded after lunch.   There were prizes for the best original Sacco car, best modified Sacco car, presidents choice, highest mileage and lowest mileage.   The best original car was a lovely green E320 C124, the best modified was a red R129 500SL and the the presidents choice was a lovely Bornite 420SEL.   All were very deserving winners.

Looking around the cars parked at the event, there were some really nice ones on display.   Youngtimer Sacco Day 2025 manages to bring out a lot of cars that are rarely seen at club events.  It shows how well a theme for events works.   A regular drive and lunch event wouldn’t get nearly as many cars.  But focusing on a particular era of cars and making it a bit special makes the day work really well.

My kids and I really enjoyed the day and hope to go again in 2026.

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Attendance was pretty good for a mid-week event.   I took my 450SLC.   The 450SLC is well suited to this route, but the choice wasn’t really much of a choice, as only the 300SE and 450SLC are up to a longer drive at the moment.   The 250SE is not charging so would promptly run out of electricity.    The 560SEC is currently without a radiator or coolant hoses, and the 560SEL is having some minor panel damage repaired.    Exacerbating this situation is the long shipping times due to Covid19.

As well as my SLC, at the MBCNSW mid-week drive there were two other 107s – a 380SL (with a 5.0 engine) and a 350SL.   Sadly the 350SL failed to proceed early on.   It was belching out black smoke and the owner thought he might have a batch of bad fuel.  I sure hope it was only that!   There was also a 380SEC and a manual 190E, which are quite rare in Australia.    As well as the classics there were three moderns, a C Class, an E class and an SLK.

The route started out taking us west, towards Richmond.   From there we turned off at Comleroy road, and then at Blaxland ridge road.   These are both roads I am quite familiar with, using them to come back from the mountains and avoid the M4 or M2.   We then joined the Putty road, the original way to the Hunter.   The Putty road has some twisty sections and some long straights.   It is nice to drive it without bikes up your tail every few minutes.     We took the Putty road right up to the hunter and then turned for Broke.   There is a slightly faster way to go for Broke, but the road is not as good.

We had a rather nice lunch at Harrigans Irish Pub and then a few of us took a rather spirited drive back via Wollombi and Central Mangrove.    It was really good to get the SLC out and stretch its legs.   I suspect both my SLC and the 380SL 5.0 will need new fuel accumulators as they both struggled to start when warm.    I’ll probably need to replace the transmission mount.   I have not yet inspected it, but from the vibrations I was feeling I am pretty confident it is collapsed.

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The route is nice with minimal traffic, good winding roads and scenery.   As you drive along route 33, you’ll see an early sign to Wisemans Ferry – this is an unsealed road and not the ferry you’re looking for, so ignore this sign.      You’ll also get to smell the chicken farms along the route – best to go through that area rather quickly!

overall this route is a faster way than Putty, but Putty is a better drive.   Even better do both!  Certainly better than sitting in the F3 traffic, and this route is probably a bit less popular with the motorbike crowd.  It’s also far enough from the city that the cyclists don’t clog it up.

If you like ferries, you can also go back via the Berowra waters ferry instead of through Dural.   I didn’t as it was getting late.

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This weekend, I chose the Putty road and to take the E-Type, and this decision was vindicated by a great drive with minimal traffic, vs the people I was meeting up at the hunter who sat in traffic getting on the F3 and then at Cessnock.   The E-Type performed well, especially on the back roads and it was good to get it out for an extended drive.

The route takes you through some great twisting bends, and good scenery.  Being a public holiday, you also miss being buzzed by the massive number of motorcycle riders, although you might have to wait for  a few cows, like I did.

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I can also recommend lunch at the Verandah restaurant in the Hunter.  It is a bit on the pricey side, but the food is excellent.

Moreover, there are plenty of places you can stay with undercover parking….

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